When the governor presented his budget last month, he managed to alienate himself and find pushback from 130 or so cities and towns that he proposed steep cuts to.
With so few cities and towns seeing increases, that meant fewer political allies, and as the budget process continues, he's now found support in the heart of the Naugatuck Valley.
"I support the governor," said Ansonia Mayor David Cassetti, a Republican. He said the governor's proposal adequately addressed the kinds of problems smaller municipalities like Ansonia, and for that matter, Derby have enountered year after year.
“No budget process should pit the needs of our students against overburdened taxpayers," Cassetti said at an event outside the Ansonia Public Library. "No budget process should force us to choose between losing teachers and reducing hours at the public library.”
The governor's budget boosted funding for Ansonia by $3.75 million, increasing the amount of Education Cost Sharing grants for the city's education system.
While helping towns like Derby, Ansonia, and Waterbury to the tune of tens of millions of dollars, that has also led to steep reductions in more affluent towns like West Hartford, Milford, Darien, and Greenwich.
The governor has argued that those kinds of communities, more affluent with higher fund balances, and relatively low mill rates, can sustain the kinds of financial reductions he's proposed.
Local
Gov. Malloy says most budget years, it's the communities most in need that have to make the toughest choices.
“Communities, hard-working middle class communities have frequently had to pit services against education or services against education and in many cases quite frankly, both sides have lost in that discussion," he said.
Even with the support of the mayor, the governor is only receiving support for the specific appropriations for Derby and Ansonia from the state senator who represents them, Freshman Republican Sen. George Logan.
“I thought it was important to be here, hear what the governor had to say , and provide some balance, you know," he said.
Logan, when asked whether he would support the governor's budget as currently proposed, he answered, "No," saying his district isn't limited to just two communities.
“I have other towns in the district: Bethany, Woodbridge as well, that also need to make sure they’re being treated fairly as well.”
the governor says he feels a sentiment in the General Assembly that lawmakers recognize a need to change the way the state funds cities and towns, and says he's not afraid to take on the challenge.
“These are small communities that are asked to do a lot and quite frankly the state needs to do more top be of assistance to those communities."
